Person appointed by an independent intermediary or appointed representative to provide a range of financial services. If they advise on or arrange certain types of investment (pensions, life insurance, unit trusts and shares) they and the companies they represent must be FSAauthorised. Financial advisers just advising on loans, most mortgages, general insurance or bank/building society accounts do not have to be FSAauthorised until October 2004 in the case of mortgage advisers and January 2005 in the case of general insurance and term insurance advisers. Some financial advisers sell the products of a single firm while others, independent financial advisers, base their advice on all products in the market.